


Golden Wheat, Silver Moon

by Whippoorwillow



Category: Harvest Moon, Harvest Moon: Magical Melody
Genre: Alcohol, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, Family Drama, Magic, Minor Injuries, Multi, Slice of Life, Smoking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-05-19 04:29:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19349524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whippoorwillow/pseuds/Whippoorwillow
Summary: "Learning to live off the land is no easy feat! When Mori is banished from the closed-off community she grew up in, she found herself heading towards Flowerbud Village, hoping to take part in the 'Exciting Ranch Plan' simply for the free home provided with it. However, when a group Harvest Sprites show up at her door, and beg her to help revive the Harvest Goddess, Mori begins to suspect she wound up here for a much bigger purpose."





	1. Prologue

 

Saturday evenings were always hopping when it came to the local taverns and bars, although, it should be noted that it is exceptionally busier than per usual during the cold, rainy season of early spring. From travelers seeking shelter from the downpours, to locals too stubborn to change their usual plans, Saturday was a promise of overflowing cups, and general merriment.

For the most part, people seem to come to bars in hopes of socializing, but on the rare occasion, you might find someone who isn’t always up to chatting with strangers, however friendly they seem. Regardless, with such a heavy crowd filling in all the empty seats, the less-chatty will somehow manage to find themselves dragged into a conversation. Enter, young Mori, a girl who was just hoping to be left alone for the evening.

Being surrounded by friendly folk wasn’t the bother—but more or less, she was tired from her travels. Tomorrow would mark her first day of her new life, and as she gingerly sipped at her warmed cider, she couldn’t help but smile. Perhaps it was the alcohol, or perhaps she was genuinely starting to find joy in her rather grim situation. She wondered to herself, if this was the light at the end of the tunnel she had been running down for so long. Maybe now, she thought, she could leisurely stroll the remainder of the way, with only clear skies up ahead.

“He’s not going to like that,” One of the women next chimed to her nearby friend, shaking her head with a devilish look in her bright blue eyes.

 **“I know he’s not, and that’s the damn point!”** The friend replied, practically throwing her arms up in the air, the bright blue ring on her finger standing out under the yellowed light of the tavern. “My husband can shove it for all I care! I warned him—I WARNED him, Kelly, and he’s ‘gonna get it!” She hiccupped.

“Alright, gingersnap, calm yourself.” The woman behind the bar spoke in a soothing, but somewhat strict tone. “You’re ‘gonna go and knock over this one’s drink if you wave your arms at her any closer.” With a gentle wave of her hand, she gestured to Mori, who sheepishly took another swig of her cider in response.

“Sorry,” The married red-head huffed, “You know what? Enough about my crummy husband!” She said, giggling slightly as she placed her chin in her hands. “I want to know about you, stranger!~”

Mori sat her drink on the table, looking at the others in the bar as her dark eyes reflected the dim glow of the golden lights that poorly lit up the room. “Well, not much to say. I’m movin’ out to Flowerbud Village—I should be there by early tomorrow  afternoon.”

There was a prolonged moment of silence between the women, who all shifted awkwardly in their seats. Regardless of the unexpected remark, they all seemed fairly amused at the comment. Mori could feel herself already beginning to sink into her pumpkin-hued sweater for warmth.

“Whatcha’ movin’ out to that hick town for?” Kelly piqued, “Ain’t ever got anything goin’ on in that town, y’know? Hell, they barely even have any farm lands—Hold up,” She took a large swig of her drink, and let out a toothy grin, “Aw, shugs, you ain’t goin’ out there for that whatever-farm plan, are ya’?!”

Her dark eyes widened slightly when asked, a surprised sparkle glistening over her irises. The expression on her face said it all— it only made sense that the closest neighboring communities to Flowerbud would know about the ‘Exciting Ranch Plan’ that the town had been advertising, but the fact they guessed she was traveling to town for that still took her back nonetheless.

“Oh please, they’ve been advertising that every year for the past two years, now!” The bartender laughed, her gently freckled face standing out as she beamed. “No one wants to move out there because it’s such a sham! The land they’re offerin’ ain’t big enough to farm on—and the biggest plot of land you could take was right by the ocean. The plot near the town square’s barely big enough for a decent house, the river side’s nice, but that river’s nothin’ but trash and junk, and the soil’s so bad down by the sea that you’ll barely grow anything from there. Anyways, It’s all a scam!”

 _“Well,”_ The girl protested, “I mean… how can it be a scam if it’s all being given out for free?”

 _“Oh shugs,”_ The Waitress shook her head, _“You naive, pretty little fool…_ I know it seems like a dream, but you best have some other plan if you’re thinking this’ll be a good start.” Her eyes flickered as she refilled Mori’s cider, “Believe me, if you know what’s best for you, you’ll just turn around now and go back to where you came from.”

“It’s basically a trap,” the married woman hiccupped, “Costs money to get seeds, costs money to get animals, to build… if you don’t know what you’re doing, you might as well give up and go home!” She wiped the edge of her mouth with her sleeve. _“It’s a trap, just like marriage. Don’t fall for it.”_

 **“Oh hush!”** Kelly playfully shoved at her friend, “Ginger, you love your man, and this girl might end up lovin’ Flowerbud.” She snickered, “Heck, we all thought Rudy was a terrible match, but now look atcha’!”

The waitress leaned over, topping off the other girl’s drinks with a gentle smile rolling up across her face. “You know, now that you mention it, I remember a time Flowerbud used to be a nice little village—lots of festivals, lots of really good quality crops and stuff bein’ shipped out…” A melancholy sigh escaped her lips, “I think that’s why they’re doing this. They want to bring people back to the village, but… there just ain’t anything there no more.” She shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t think even ‘givin away land for free is gonna save the place at this point.”

 _“I see…”_ The girl looked down at her refilled beverage and solemnly took another sip of it before pushing some of her wavy, auburn locks behind her ear. She knew better than to open her mouth about herself… no matter what, everything always seemed to end in disaster. It’s how she lost her home to begin with… it’s how she wound up here, hundreds of miles south from where she lived with her family. She’d never see them again.

“What’s your name, shugs? And where you from?” The bartender asked again, smiling as she cleaned out a glass with her washcloth.

“I’m Mori,” the girl smiled back, deciding since she’d already given this much about herself away, there wasn’t much left to lose. _“I’m from Feverfew. You know where it is?”_

As Mori expected, the conversation suddenly dropped into a dead silence. The conversing friends practically snapped their necks as they stared at her, and the bartender almost dropped her drink from her hands.

 ** _“Do we know where Feverfew is, shugs?”_** Kelly gawked, her bright blue eyes furrowing with slight surprise and disgust. _“You don’t mean that scummy-“_

 **“Isn’t that whole town like one big cult?”** Ginger gasped, **_“Oh my GODDESS, and you escaped?!”_**

At this moment, there were a few heads that were beginning to turn in the bar—nosey people who recognized the name of the mentioned town. It was overwhelming, and slightly petrifying for Mori to watch, and she could feel her shoulders slumping as she tried to hide her face. She wasn’t expecting so many people to pipe in.

 _“Well, I mean… I… I’m here, aren’t I?”_ She muttered, loud enough for anyone nearby for her to hear.

_“I don’t think she left on her own accord…”_

_“You think she was banished?”_

_“She probably still believes in all that crazy stuff—just don’t make eye contact…”_

There was an awkward silence between the women that surrounded her. To them, it suddenly all made sense—with no plan, and nowhere to go, it was obvious that Mori was just taking any opportunity given to her. She was just a desperate drifter from Feverfew, looking for a handout in real society while she kept trucking along with her closed-off beliefs she probably brought with her.

Feverfew was, after all, known for it’s ideals on living in harmony with nature… and that meant going back to humanity’s roots. Everyone living off the land, working together as a team, storing food the old-fashioned way… everything about the town was ideal. However, their “Stop and Move Backwards” ideals were dangerous. Technology wasn’t allowed in Feverfew—and communicating with the world outside of Feverfew was kept to a minimum or heavily monitored.

The community is said to have gotten it’s name by their heavy claim about how no-one gets sick in Feverfew due to their use of specially made, local herbal remedies … but the truth was, they didn’t. They used modern medicine and vaccines just like everyone else. It was a part of the scam to get people to move there and get sucked into the town. It held a lot of dark secrets Mori believed she couldn’t tell anyone about. She was born and raised there, and she truly feared if she spoke a word about anything, they’d know, and she’d meet a fate crueler than this.

This also meant everything about her was being judged and questioned. Feverfew wasn’t exactly known for being a welcoming community—they were strict, judgmental, and closed-off from the rest of the world. They weren’t exactly trying to hide themselves, either—they wanted to grow in numbers, so being banished from town entirely wasn’t an easy feat.

‘The Exciting Ranch Plan’ in Flowerbud Village was an opportunity for a fresh start—even If she didn’t have a clue what was ahead of her. Even if it meant she’d just have to give up and figure out a new plan; Mori had nowhere else to go, and with her wallet drained from traveling, she had to do something to get by.

The silence eventually was broken as the women got up and moved, leaving only the waitress behind. Shaking her head as she slammed one of her cups onto the bar, she let out a grumble.

“Don’t pay no mind to ‘em.” She sighed, “My best friend grew up in Feverfew. When her momma got banished, she packed up her kids and moved here. Growin’ up knowin’ her father stayed behind, all because her momma wanted to try and make life a little easier for all of ‘em?” She shook her head, _“Thank the Goddess she got outta that one… but I just can’t imagine growin’ up knowin’ my dad just turned cheek like that…”_

Mori let out a gentle nod, a saddened gleam in her eye. During her travels, she had never met anyone who understood. She wondered, briefly, if she knew the woman at one point that she was talking about. From her childhood, she only recalled about a dozen citizens getting banished from the town, including herself. Some of them were lucky enough to take their children or families with them, if they wanted to join them. Feeling a wave of relief wash over her, she pressed her hands together, burying them between her knees. For once, she felt like it was alright to be a little vulnerable.

 _“I came from the family of bee keepers… I know it’s not hard to follow the rules…”_ She said, finding solace in the waitress, “I tried designing a bee hive that would be more safe to use for the bees—less disturbing them for the honey and all that.” As she brought her hands comfortably back up to the table, she finished off her drink, and continued, “They found my designs, confiscated them, and accused me of trying to design some sorta weapon. I was never really liked by anyone outside of my family, and I think more than anything they just needed a new example to keep Feverfew stronger _—‘Keeping out the sick’ and all that.”_

 _“Oh darlin’…”_ The waitress cooed, placing one of her free hands on top of Mori’s, “I reckon’ you’re gonna be just fine in Flowerbud.” She smiled, trying her hardest to reassure her, even though she still wasn’t sure about how Flowerbud would end up treating Mori. “Heck, if inventin’ stuff is your fancy, I think you might wanna see if The Junk Shop’s still around.” She smiled, “They’re a general store, but they also make machines for dairy products. I think Michael’s the owner, last I heard.”

 _“The Junk Shop…”_ Mori repeated, “Got it.” A gentle smile appeared on her face. Mori wasn’t entirely savvy on inventing things, but she always found herself thinking there had to be an easy way to do various tasks. It was more of a hobby, and not something she could see herself pursuing… but perhaps a stop by the Junk Shop would provide her something of interest, at the very least.

“Enough of all that sad stuff, now.” The Waitress chimed, “You want me to top off that drink of yours, or are you callin’ it a night?”

“I should probably call it a night,” Mori let out a lighthearted laugh, “I’ve got an early day tomorrow and I should head up and get some sleep.” She hopped off her chair, turning to give the waitress one last nod. _“Thank you.”_

“No problem shugs.” She winked, “I hope things work out for ya’. Heck, maybe I’ll see you at one of those festivals if they start havin’ ‘em again.”

As Mori turned to walk up the stairs to her room, she took a deep sigh as she looked out the window at the downpour. Hopefully her skies would be clear tomorrow morning… the walk from here to Flowerbud was going to be a long one.


	2. House Wren

With a thin mist fluttering just above the dirt path that lead to Flowerbud Village, the sloshing sound of mud broke the silence of the early morning. The early birds were only beginning to wake up, as the sun hadn’t even broken the horizon yet. Stars still twinkling, only to be seen through the few breaks in the cloudy sky. With the rain, warm weather had moved in, and if it wasn’t for the wet ground, Mori thought, it would be perfect for traveling.

It was a one-way path for the rest of her journey, and she continued to recollect the memories of her conversation with the waitress at the bar last night. One moment, the woman scoffed at the idea of anyone making it on this ‘Free Ranch Plan’, but the next, she was supportive, and hopeful. Mori couldn’t help but feel like a charity case.

She refused to be, though. Regardless of her circumstances, she would work her butt off and make a living for herself, one way or another.

With the mist beginning to fade away, Mori suddenly found herself walking on hard ground… stone. Looking behind her, the dirt path had ended, and staring ahead of her, she found herself in the middle of the town square.

 _“Did… I make it already?”_ Mori muttered to herself, eyeballing the empty, surrounding area. With that, she quickly pulled out her map, looking over it carefully.

**“Well, Howdy there!”**

An unexpected voice broke her train of thought, and with a jump, she looked up from her map. From the distance, she could see a dapper looking man, sporting a red coat and a top hat, coming to greet her. She attempted to hide her somewhat dazed expression, and met the man halfway in the square.

“It’s good of you to visit!” The man said, holding out a hand with a rather chipper smile.

“T-Thank you!” Mori said, politely shaking his hand.

“I’m Theodore,” The man continued, “The mayor of this village. It’s a pleasure to meet you. You are?”

Mori brushed some of her long, wavy hair behind her ear, smiling. “My name is Mori.”

“Mori!” Theodore smiled, “What a unique name! I’m sure I’ll remember it.” The man mused a bit, and glanced at Mori, appearing to study her. Mori’s eyes shifted to the side, and her body stiffened up a bit. Suddenly, she seemed a bit alert—why did the Mayor come out here so early? No one could possibly be awake at this hour… before Mori could ask, however, Theodore explained himself.

“I hope you don’t mind my say-so,” He spoke, breaking the brief silence, “But I had a friend call me the other night—they told me someone would be arriving today to look into our Exciting Ranch Plan.” He removed his hat, cracking a sheepish smile as he did so. “Would… that happen to be you?”

Mori felt a sudden wave of relief hit her. The waitress she spoke to must still have connections in this town, and Theodore must be one of them. She quietly prayed to herself that nothing about her past was brought up… she wanted to keep her origins to herself. Who knows what the people in this town would think of her if they found out where she was from?

“That must be me.” Mori let out an awkward chuckle, in which Theodore practically jumped out of his shoes from excitement.

“Oh good heavens!” He yelled, “It’s really happening then!” His demeanor suddenly shifted from one calm, to one of excitement, as the man quickly turned tail and began sprinting back towards his estate. “Come, quickly now!”

Mori, a bit shocked, quickly tried to scuttle behind him without losing any of her belongings. “W-Wait up!” She called, fumbling with her rather large duffel bag, “Please, slow down!”

With that, Theodore abruptly stopped, swiftly turning to face her. “Oh- Oh dear me.” He sighed, “I’m so terribly sorry! Please excuse my excitement,” he twiddled his thumbs as he resumed walking at a much more neutral pace, “This is, well, _I dare say_ …” He cleared his throat, “You’re the first we’ve had show any interest in the plan. We’ve been a bit desperate for new farmers in the village…” He admitted.

As the two exited the square, Mori began to look around. At first, she was listening very intently to Theodore talk about the state of the village, but her mind quickly began to drift. The air felt fresh here, and the mountains that rose high in the distance seemed to call to her. Towards the south, she could just barely see the ocean from the incline they were at. This village felt so secluded from the rest of the world…

Turning the corner, something caught the corner of Mori’s eyes: “The Junk Shop.” That was the same shop the waitress recommended to her last night. It was so close to the town square! She felt quite lucky—that would be very easy for her to remember.

“Mori?” Theodore’s voice grabbed at her attention, quickly drawing her from her trance. “Would you like to see the plots of land available in person before you make your decision about the plan?”

Mor’s eyes widened. She recalled something mentioned about different lands, but it didn’t seem to phase her that she’d get to choose.

“That would be lovely!” She gasped, feeling her face turn pink from the embarrassment. Theodore chuckled, feeling rather amused by the girl’s sudden burst of excitement.

“Looks like I’m not the only one who’s been anticipating this!” He chuckled, _“That’s a good sign.”_ He muttered to himself, as the two approached a home just around the corner of The Junk Shop.

“Here’s your first option.” He smiled, “Right now, just this house is available. There isn’t much land available if you’re wanting to farm. However…” He gestured to a, wide, open field that spanned west of the home. “That land makes up three different plots, and all three will be up for sale in the near future.”

Mori looked carefully over the home, and looked back at the Mayor. “It’s nice,” She spoke, “But… I suppose my only concern is where I’d be permitted to grow crops sooner rather than later…”

“I see…” The mayor thought, “Then, perhaps either of the next two plots will suit you.”

The two continued moving west of the home, allowing Mori a bit more time to sight-see. They passed by one of the local Ranches—Blue Sky. It was still too early for them to open up, but she could see someone heading into the barn in passing. With that, they approached the second plot of land: One by the river.

“This one’s perfect for fishing, and has fertile land. It’s not big, and it’s a bit of a walk from any of the shops, aside from Blue Sky, but it’s a charming starter plot, if you like it well enough.” He nodded, watching as Mori approached the house with a bewildered expression on her face. Something about it seemed… nostalgic. It was as if this home was made for her. She brushed her hand against the wooden door frame, and closed her eyes. She had yet to even peek inside, but somehow… she knew this was the one.

Theodore noticed the girl curiously pressing her hand against the door, and began to speak. “If you’d like to see inside-“

**“I’ll take it.”**

Theodore could barely believe what he just heard, and he stared rather intensely at the girl. “I-I’m sorry?”

“This one, please.” Mori turned around, and smiled. “I don’t need to see the last option … this is where I want to live.”


	3. Spirited Sprites

At long last, Mori had finished setting up her home. She hadn’t even been in the village a day, and she’d already been bombarded with an unexpected amount of hospitality. The moment the mayor realized she hadn’t a single piece of furniture to her name, he scrambled around and got her a few of the basics. Perhaps he was just desperate, and perhaps, he expected her to pay him back in the future. For now, however, she was incredibly thankful of the gesture, and figured she’d pay him back somehow.

_“Spring’s the perfect season to start growing Breadfruit, Turnips, Strawberries, and… well, of course, you can’t beat farm-fresh potatoes, can you?”_

Mori took a mental note earlier at Theodore’s comment. He must be a big fan of potatoes… and there was no doubt she’d grow some, once she started her garden.

 She wiped the sweat from her brow, and stood back, looking at her set up for her little studio-sized home. It was perfect. Glancing at her clock, she realized how late in the afternoon it already was. It was too early to go to bed entirely… but, regardless, she found herself feeling exhausted after all that work.

Folding a knitted, pink blanket over the foot of her bed, Mori flopped onto the downy-soft mattress and curled up. The polka-dotted bed was quite cozy, and she couldn’t help but admire the quality of it. Although she could tell it was a bit worn, it was sturdy, and made with good quality wood. Could the artisan that made this be from the village?

Although her mind was racing from all that had happened today, and stirring up thoughts about what the future may hold, Mori was hit by a wave exhaustion. Soon, Mori found herself quickly sinking deeper into the bed, her eyelids fluttering as she struggled for a brief moment to keep them open.

 _“Maybe just a quick nap…”_ She muttered to herself, finally allowing her eyes drift.

 

* * *

 

 

_“Mori, darling… No matter what happens, I promise you, we’ll always be with you.”_

_“No. You went behind the backs of the gods, and made plans to destroy our community with this machine. This is an undisputable fact!”_

_“Even her name is a bad omen—she’s been a pox upon our village from the moment she was born!”_

_“No. Nobody is leaving this household. They’ve given you a choice… you either stay here, and suffer the consequences, and stick by your family, or you turn tail like a coward.”_

_“Mori, go. Pack your things, and leave this place. Don’t look back, sweetheart… just run.”_

 

* * *

 

 

**_Knock, knock, knock!_ **

The sound of quiet knocking finally stirred Mori awake once again. Her heart was racing as she sat up from her bed, recalling memories of her final days in Feverfew, and not feeling as well rested as she hoped she would. She fought back the feeling of homesickness as she sat up from her bed, trying to put her brave face back on. Rubbing her eyes, she walked over to the door, and hesitated, hearing high-pitched, squeaky voices from the other side of the door.

_“I told you, stop doing that!”_

_“But I want to see the new person!”_

_“Come on, they might not even be home, yeah!”_

_“We could just come back later, yeah!”_

Curiosity peaking, Mori opened the door, and to her surprise, there was nobody in her field of vision. She scratched the back of her head, but then, suddenly, heard a voice coming from… down.

“Oh, look! It’s a lady!”

Mori looked down, and saw three, tiny people standing at her feet. One dressed in red, the second in blue, and the final, in yellow. They couldn’t have even been 6 inches tall, and sported green hair, and rather pointy ears. They all stared wide-eyed at her, and continued their conversation.

“Wow! So this is the new farmer, huh?”

“I hope she and Jamie can get along, yeah!”

“I’m really happy we finally have a new farmer in the village, yeah!”

Mori rubbed her eyes. This couldn’t have been happening… could it have?

“I’m ‘gonna go inside and look around-“

 ** _“Carlos, stop!”_** The other two yelled at their yellow-clad friend, and in response, Mori gently shifted her foot, preventing him from entering. With that, the other three looked up at her, and noticed that she was intensely staring back at them.

 ** _“Y-You can see us?!”_** Carlos gasped, stepping backwards to rejoin his two friends.

Mori shifted her gaze for a second, and then kneeled down a bit to get a better look at them. She pinched her cheek gently, just to be sure she wasn’t dreaming… and sure enough, they were still standing in front of her. **_“I… I can!”_** She gasped, “I’m… I’m not crazy. You’re **_real!_** ”

“It’s been a long time since anyone could see us, yeah!” Billy chimed, jumping up in the air.

“Yeah,” Arthur added, adjusting his bright red cap, “The only people that can see us that we know of are you and Jamie!”

“Hey, does that mean…” Billy spoke, but his train of thought was completed by Carlos.

 “You’ll be able to help us!”

Mori shifted in place, raising one of her eyebrows curiously. “Help you?” Mori inquired, resting her chin in her hand.

The three tiny men glanced at each other, and finally looked back at Mori.

“First,” Arthur spoke, “We should introduce ourselves to you, yeah!”

“I’m Billy!” The blue-coated sprite spoke, bowing politely.

“I’m Carlos!” The excitable little guy in yellow spoke, jumping as he said his name.

“And my name’s Arthur!” The red-clad friend waved, and stepped forward as he introduced himself.

“And you are?” The three of them spoke in unison, leaning closer to Mori with anticipation.

A light giggle escaped from her lips, as she bowed her head. “My name is Mori.” She smiled, “Now… what is it you need help with?”

Billy stepped forward, and removed his hat, a solemn expression appearing on his face. _“You see…”_

“It’s not an easy task…” Carlos once more interrupted Billy, and shuffled closer to the girl, removing his hat as well.

Arthur removed his hat as well, “We’ve been trying for years now… to bring back the Harvest Goddess…”

A blank stare fell across Mori’s face. Did they just say Goddess? As in… a real deity? Gods and Goddesses were real?! Mori could feel her heart racing… Back home, she never entirely believed in the gods her village spoke of, and worshiped. Then again, she’d never heard of any other gods from outside of Feverfew…

“Follow us!” Carlos spoke, tugging at the fabric on Mori’s sweater before running towards the mountain trail past her home.

“Yeah, yeah! Follow us!” Billy chimed in, trailing quickly behind his brother, and was then followed by Arthur.

“Wait- What?” Mori stood to her feet, looking up at the evening sky shining above her. It was dangerous to head up in the mountains alone… but something in her heart was telling her to follow them. Looking around, and picking up her skirt, she dashed off into the night, following their trail.

**_“Wait for me!”_ **


	4. Jamie and the Goddess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN:  
> Jamie, in this fic, is non-binary! They will be written with They/Them pronouns.   
> Dorothy, the harvest sprite mentioned, is another OC of mine.

 It wasn’t long before Mori found herself out of breath, and stumbling into a strange looking cave on the west side of the base of the mountain. She watched as the trio ran into the pitch-black cavern, and shivered as she approached the entrance. Looking around, she noticed a sign right next to the mouth of the cave, with worn letters she could just barely make out.

_“Harvest Goddess Spring”_

This had to be her destination. With a gulp, she inched herself into the cave, feeling along the wall for support. Before long, a rather dim light broke through the darkness ahead of her, and she began to quicken her pace. A cold breeze passed through the cave, in which she buried herself into her sweater a bit more, as she found herself standing before… a statue of a woman.

The woman looked as If she were weeping as she prayed, her head tilted up at the opening in the cave above her. The moon shone down upon her, showing the details of her long, beautiful gown, that seemed so perfectly sculpted.

“She turned to stone…”

A voice broke the silence, and Mori’s gaze quickly turned to that of the Harvest Sprites, who were standing before her, bowing their heads.

“She said that people had forgotten how to appreciate…” Carlos sniffed.

“They forgot kind thoughts…” Arthur sighed.

“The heart to believe…” Billy placed his hand on Carlos’ shoulder, trying to console him as he wept.

“The heart to love…” Arthur continued, feeling tears well up in his eyes.

“And her existence.” A fourth voice appeared, which grabbed the attention of the three, tiny men. Stepping out from behind the statue of the Harvest Goddess, stood a tiny woman with longer, bright green hair, and pointed ears. She appeared to be the same height as the boys, and wore a purple gown.

“Dorothy!” Arthur cried, and in unison the three boys ran up and embraced the girl in an emotional flurry. She sighed, patting all of their heads as she smiled.

“I see you found another person that can see us, yeah!” She chimed, looking up at Mori with a curious smile on her face. “Are you going to help us bring her back?”

Mori scratched the back of her neck, looking away for a moment. “I’d like to,” she began, “But… I’m not sure how.”

Dorothy parted through the three boys, and made her way over to Mori, confidently placing her hands on her hips as she spoke. “It’s quite simple, really!” She chimed, “We just need you to go and collect a lot of notes! The more notes, the more power she’ll get back!” She crossed her arms, nodding. “We Harvest Sprites have to rely on humans to collect notes. We’d do it ourselves, but magic just doesn’t work that way!”

“Notes?” Mori squinted her eyes. “What do you mean by notes?”

Dorothy pouted, appearing to be frustrated. “Y’know… NOTES! Like… _ding!”_ She chimed.

 _“I’m… drawing a blank.”_ Mori admitted sheepishly. Dorothy smacked her forehead, and rolled her eyes.

“You humans are so dense when it comes to magic!” Dorothy spat. “You know the sound that comes from someone else when they realize you’ve become a friend of theirs?” She explained, “Or when you do something nice for someone else, and they make a sound that’s filled with gratitude? Or when you hear that noise after finally accomplish something big after working on it for super long?”

Mori’s eyes widened. “Oh! Like musical notes, then!” She still didn’t quite understand what sounds Dorothy was going on about, though.

“Exactly!” Arthur yelled, as he jumped up into the sky. “Collect a lot of notes!”

**_“Oh please.”_ **

A cold voice broke the silence from behind them, which caused Mori to quickly turn around. She found herself face to face with a stern looking farmer, wearing a long, colorful shawl and sporting a long, grumpy face.

 **“Jamie!”** Billy cried, running over to the farmer with excitement.

“Didja hear?! We found another person that’s gonna help!” Carlos yelled.

“Let’s all work together and bring the Harvest Goddess back, yeah!” Arthur chimed, a determined look in his eye.

Jamie shook their head. _“Don’t even bother,”_ they spoke, glaring at Mori with an intense, angry look in their eyes. “I’m going to be the one to bring her back… and I don’t need help from anyone.” They cocked their eyebrow, curiously looking Mori up and down. **_“You’re not even from this village!”_** They gasped, clenching their fists. "No wonder I didn't recognize you!"

 _“I… just moved here-“_ Mori began, backing away from Jamie a bit.

 **“Then stay out of it.”** They spat, “You’re just going to end up giving up the second you realize how hard it is to get by around here. **_Just go back while you still can.”_**

Gripping at the cuff of her sweater, Mori found herself wanting to explode at this jerk… they had no idea how impossible it was for her to return home, and she certainly wasn’t going to explain that to them here and now. Besides, she already decided to keep Feverfew out of her life here in Flowerbud. No mention of her old home… this was her fresh start.

“Jamie!” Dorothy yelled, “Be nice!”

“Yeah!” Arthur chimed, trying to lighten the mood, “W-We’ve all got the same goal here!”

“Let’s be friends, okay?” Carlos whimpered, shifting behind Billy.

 _“Friends?”_ Jamie laughed, _**“You guys are NOT my friends.”**_

Before any of them could interject, Jamie turned around, and made their way to the mouth of the cave. _“Stay out of my way…”_ They muttered, grumbling to themselves as they made their leave.

Mori could feel her cheeks turning red with frustration, and Dorothy took notice of this.

 _“Jamie’s a really good person,”_ Dorothy protested, _“They’re just…”_

 _“Really upset with us right now.”_ Billy admitted, his head hanging low.

Mori let out a heavy sigh, and knelt down, bringing herself closer to the Harvest Sprites. They all seemed very defeated over Jamie’s attitude… there seemed to be a lot of history between this group. Dorothy also insisted on defending Jamie’s character. Perhaps there was more to the angry farmer that meets the eye.

“I know Jamie doesn't want anyone else to help, but...” Carlos twiddled his thumbs, looking up at Mori with sad eyes. “Will you _please_ help us collect notes?”

This was so much for Mori to take in. She still didn’t quite understand what notes were, let alone how to go looking for them. However, there had to be a reason she could see all of them… that fate wound up drawing her to this little village. She bit the inside of her cheek, thinking long and hard about the situation… when finally, she decided.

 **“I’ll help.”** Mori nodded. The sprites responded by jumping up and down in immense excitement.

 **“YAY!”** Carlos cheered.

“Thank you **SO MUCH!”** Billy chimed.

“We’ll work together and bring the Harvest Goddess back, yeah!” Arthur cried.

“I know you’ll find us a lot of notes!” Dorothy winked.

“I’ll do my best!” Mori yelled, standing up, _“Even if I’m not sure where to start…”_

With that, however, a gentle chime rang through her ears, and before her eyes, a bright, glowing orb began to form in front of her. In one swift motion, she held her hands out, and grabbed at the small object that fit in the palm of her hands. When the object stopped glowing, she opened her hands, and saw a tiny bulb that reflected a rainbow hue, with a musical note engraved in the center.

 _“Your first step,”_ a clear, crystal voice echoed through your mind. “ _It's difficult to take the first step no matter what you are doing. The first step of life note.”_

The Harvest Sprites huddled around Mori as she quickly showed them the object in her hands.

“That’s it!” Dorothy clapped, “That’s a note!”

“We finally got a note!” Billy cheered.

“If you collect a lot of these,” Arthur clapped, “We’ll be able to bring her back!”

“If you bring back five of these,” Carlos smiled, “We’ll be able to do something with them!”

 _“Do something,”_ Dorothy clarified, clearing her throat, “As in, use them to create the magical objects that’ll help bring her back!”

“Five of these,” Arthur spoke, “Means one magic instrument!”

“Bring back five at a time,” Mori nodded, “Got it!”

Dorothy stepped forward, her hands folded behind her back. “Well… I think that’s all you need to know, then!” Dorothy smiled, holding out her hand, causing a faint, glowing aura to surround Mori.

“What’s-“ Mori looked at her hands as they quickly became transparent.

“We’ll see you soon, Mori!” Dorothy waved, and quickly vanished from her field of vision. She felt her eyes drifting again, as the scene around her faded into darkness.

Suddenly, Mori’s eyes fluttered open at the loud sound of knocking on her front door.


End file.
